37 Creating an Annotated Bibliography
Rachel Winchel
Creating an annotated bibliography is a simple task.
The format of your document should include the following:
- Be in MLA format
- Contain your heading in the upper left corner
- Last name and page number in the upper right corner
- Be double spaced
- Use hanging indent
- Size 12 font.
The annotated bibliography content should have:
- A summary or critical preface before listing your sources and annotations. This is basically a paragraph in which you describe the purpose of your research, the themes or ideas you are hoping to learn more about, and any limitations in your research. This lets readers know what ideas you are researching, why you are doing this research, and what we should expect or not expect. Did you find all the articles you wanted? Were some of the articles difficult to read or written for a specific audience? Tell us briefly.
- After the critical preface you will move on to each source.
- Each source must be cited in MLA format.
- Below each source you will write your ‘annotation.’ The annotation must be in your own words. The annotation should include the following special sentences for EACH source.
Special sentences required in each annotation paragraph. Do not list these sentences separately, but write them in paragraph form:
- Brief summary of the information in the source (2-3 sentences). Do not copy paste anything and you must use your own words.
- Evaluation of the source’s usefulness (1-2 sentences). Was this source useful for you? Why or why not?
- Type of source including authority, and relevance (2-3 sentences). Was this a website? An academic journal? A social media post? Who wrote it? Are they experts? Was this source relevant for your research question and theme that you wrote about back in the critical preface? Why or why not?
As you can see, creating an annotated bibliography is a major undertaking and shouldn’t be left to the last minute.
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